Abstract

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an acquired autoimmune disease often manifesting with subepidermal bullae. Autoantibodies against hemidesmosomes constitute the main cause of BP. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and histopathological characteristics of BP patients and to discuss them in light of the studies conducted in Turkey and around the world. The retrospective study included 62 patients that were diagnosed with BP in our clinic between 2005 and 2017. Diagnosis of BP was established based on clinical, histopathological, and DIF microscopy findings. Age, gender, duration of disease, presence of pruritus, peripheral eosinophilia, significant histopathological findings, history of smoking, and family history were recorded for each patient. Patients under 18 years of age were excluded from the study. The 62 patients comprised 24 (38.7%) men and 38 (61.3%) women with a median age of 72.0 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.5. The median age at disease onset was 67.0 (range, 50-75) years and the median duration of disease was 1.0 (0.5-3.0) years. Of the 62 patients, 35 (56.5%) had a history of smoking and mucosal involvement was found in 27 (43.5%) patients. BP is a disease of the elderly and more common in women than in men. Oral mucosa should be an integral part of the physical examination in BP patients. Pruritus is a significant clinical symptom and eosinophilia is an important laboratory marker in the diagnosis of BP, particularly in patients with difficult diagnosis.

Key words: Bullous pemphigoid, smoking, pruritus